Capping machine



June 19,.1934. J E, SHARP ET 1,963,102

CAPPING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 11, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O NEY 'June 19, 1934. J. E. SHARP Er AL 9 3 2 CAPPING MACHINE I Original Filed Jan. 11, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,9ss,1o2

CAPPING momma M John 1:. Sharp, New Kensington, and Man in.

Kipfer, Arnold, Pa., minors to Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application January 11, 1932,, Serial No.

Divided and this application .Novem ber 23, 1932, Serial No. 644,016 a 22 Claims. (01. 2261-85) This invention relates to capping devices andv more particularly to a device for sealing caps on bottles and the like.

This application is a division of our copend- '5 ing application Serial No. 585,910, filed January 11, 1932, for Bottle cap-making and applying machine.

An object of this invention is to provide a machine for automatically sealing caps of fragile metal foil on bottles.

A further object is to provide. a machine of the above type which is adapted to operate as a part I of a cap-cutting, forming, embossing and sealing machine.

Another object is to provide a machine for sealing comparatively fragile-caps on bottles without tearing or otherwise injuring the foil.

Another object is to provide a convenient, dependable and eflicient device of the type above indicated.

The invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself as to its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in the various figures of which like ref- Figure 4 is a front elevation of the sealing head mechanism;

Figure 5 is a partial section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4, showing the bottle size-adjusting mechanism and the cap-sealing mechanism; and Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 66 of Figure 4, showing one of the cap-sealing units.

In the following description and in the claims, various details will be identified by specific names 'for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will pert In the embodiment of the invention illus trated in thedrawings, the cap-making and .applying machine is shown ascomprising a mm frame or housing 10 (Figure 1) on which is secured a bracket 11 with open bearings 12 holding a reel 13 containing a coil or roll of foil 14 which passes underneath a gravity-actuated,

I slack-providing roller 15 and is thence threaded pasta cap-cutting and forming mechanism 16 which is adapted to cut and form caps fromthe foil 14 as the foil is progressively moved therethrough and is preferably designed to leave the caps thus cut and formed'within the holes cut in the foil stripso that the caps are progressively drawn along with the foil strip to the capembossing station. 1

The caps are thus drawn along a horizontal guide 1'7 and deposited in a vertical guide'18 in which they fall to a cap-embossing station in alignment with an embossing mechanism 19, The foil '14 from which the caps havebeen removed is drawn past a cutting station 20 which is adapted to cut the foil strip into small pieces and to deposit the same in a suitable receptacle. The caps are removed from the embossing station 19 by a suitable means, such as a knockout lever 21, and are then passed to a cap-applying station (not shown) wherein they are applied '85 to a series of bottles which are progressively moved past said station. The above-mentioned portions of the machine have been more fully described in our copending application above referred to, and only so much thereof is set forth herein as is necessary to the understanding of the functioning of the complete machine- Referring now to Figures 2 to 6, the bottles to be sealed, to which the caps have been applied in the cap-receiving station above mentioned, 05 or the, bottles to which the formed caps have, been applied by hand or in any other suitable manner, are placed upon wear plates 30 which in turn rest upon supporting members 31 yieldably pressed upward by springs 32. Supporting members 31 have guide shafts 33 slidable in the main frame 10. A sealinghead 34 is bolted to a slide 35 having a nut 36 threadedly engaging the vertical screw shaft 37. The nut 36' carries a bevel gear 38 meshing with a bevel gear 39 on a shaft 40 adapted to be rotated by a crank 41 to turn the nut 36 to adjust the sealing head 34 up or down as desired. At its lower end, the screw shaft 37 has a strap 42 surrounding an eccentric 1 43 secured on a shaft 44 by means of which the screw shaft 37 receives vertical reciprocating motion.

As the sealing head 34 has two identical sets of parts by which twq bottles are sealed by one downward movement-of the sealing head, only one of these sets of parts will be described. In the sealing head 34 an adjustable screw-threaded bushing (Figure 6) is adapted to be held in adjusted position by a screw 51 engaging in a slot 52. Through the bushing 50 exte ds a sealing plunger 53 having .a spring 54 engaging between the bushing' 50 and a collar 55 on the sealing plunger to'normally hold the sealing plunger in its upper, position. The enlarged lower portion of the sealing plunger 53 has an annular beveled surface 56 engaging the beveled surface 57 of a segmental ring 58 (Figures 2, 3 and 6) comprising a plurality of separate segments 59, each segment having an oil reservoir 60 with a passage 61 leading to the beveled surface 57 to provide lubrication between the sliding beveled surfaces 56 and 57. The reservoir 60 preferably contains an absorbent fibrous material adapted to retain a quantity of oil and supply it gradually as needed. The lower surfaces 65 of the segments rest upon a retaining ring 66 and have slots 67 slidably engaging pins '68 secured in the retaining ring 66. The segmental ring has an annular channel 69 within which fits a"rubber side-pressure or sealing ring 70. A top pressure ring 71 of rubber is supported adjacent the rubber ring by means of a pressure head 72 screwthreadedly connected to studs73 which extend upward through the enlarged portion of the sealing plunger 53 into engagement with a pressure ring 74 resting against the bushing 50.

Pivotally mounted at 75 (Figure 4) 1n lugs 76 on the sealing head 34 is a rocker arm 77 having an adjustably secured bolt 78 for engagement with the top of the sealing plunger 53.

Secured to the side of the main frame of the machine is a bolt 79 (Figures 1 and 4) on which are pivotally mounted a plurality of 'bumper blocks 80 and 81 having spaced pairs of lugs 82 and 83 respectively, by which the bumper blocks are normally held in vertically aligned superposed position by the spaced lugs 82 on the.

bumper block 80 engaging the sides of the bumper block 81, and by the spaced lugs 83 on the bumper block 81 engaging the sides of the fixed bumper bloclg 85, which latter is bolted to the main frame 10 of the machine. Between the head of the bolt 79 and the top of the bumper block 80 is a spring '84 which permits either oneor both bumper blocks 80, 81 to be lifted vertically to release their lugs and enable the bumper blocks to be swung outwardly on the bolt 79 as I a pivot so that, depending on what size of bottle is to be sealed, the bumper block 80 may be the one to engage the rocker arm '77; or by swinging the bumper block 80 to one side, the bumper block 81 will constitute the operating block to be engaged by the rocker arm 77; or by also swinging the bumper block 81 to one side, a fixed bumper block 85 will be the one to engage the rocker arm 77.

In order to adjust the sealing head for different-sized bottles, the shaft 44 (Figures 4 and 5) carrying the eccentric 43 will first be rotated to bring the arrow 86 on the eccentric opposite the arrow 87 on the strap 42, whereupon the crank 41 will be rotated until the pointer 88 comes opposite the proper one of the marks 89 on the main frame of the machine.

In operation, as the eccentric 43 rotates and the sealing plunger 53 to move downwardly relg' ative to the head 34 to cause the beveled surface 56 to ride along the beveled surface 57 of the segmental pressure ring 58 and force the segmental pressure ring to contract inwardly and force the rubber side-pressure or sealing ring 70 also to contract inwardly to firmly press against the sides of the cap and seal the same onto the bottle top.

Upon completion of the sealing operation, the sealing head 34 rises upwardly, thus moving the rocker arm 77 up out of contact with the bumper block, and the spring 54 lifts the sealing plunger 53 upwardlyl relative to the sealing head so that the beveled surface 56 of the sealing plunger 53 moves upwardly and permits the segmental pressure ring 58 to be expanded by the rubber sealing ring 70 ready for the next sealing operation. The sealed bottles are forced along past the sealing head and discharged fromsupporting members 30 by any suitable mechanism (not shown).

It is obvious that the sealing head may be power or hand operated and that the mechanism may form a part? of a complete cap-making and applying machine or may be constructed as a separate unit if desired.

It is also to be understood that one embodiment of the invention has been shown for purposes of illustration only and that the invention is to be limited only in accordance with the following claims when interpreted in view of the prior art.

We claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a sealing head adapted to be vertically reciprocated to seal caps on bottles, a sealing plunger adapted to reciprocate vertically relative to said sealing head, a lever pivoted on said sealing head and adapted to engage said sealing plunger, and fixed bumper means adapted to engage said lever to cause said sealing plunger to move downwardly relative to said sealing head when said sealing head moves downwardly. I 2. A device of the class described comprising a sealing head adapted to be vertically adjusted for diiTerent-sized bottles and adapted to be vertically reciprocated to seal caps on bottles, a sealing plunger adapted to reciprocate vertically relative to said sealing head, a lever pivoted on said sealing head and adapted to engage said sealing plunger, and fixed bumper means adjustable for difierent-sized bottles adapted to engage said lever to cause said sealing plunger to move downwardly relative to said sealing head when said sealing head moves downwardly.

3. A device of the class described comprising a sealing head adapted to be vertically adjusted for different-sized bottles and adapted to be vertically reciprocated to seal caps on bottles, a sealing plunger adapted to reciprocate vertically relative to said sealing head, a lever pivoted on said sealing head and adapted to engage said sealing plunger, and fixed bumper means comprising a plurality of readily removable bumper blocks to provide adjustment for diiferent-sized bottles and adapted to engage said lever to cause said sealing plunger to move downwardly relative to said sealing head when said sealing head moves downwardly.

4. A device of the class described comprising a sealing head adapted to be vertically adjusted for different-sized bottles and adapted to be vertically reciprocated to seal caps on bottles, a sealing plunger adapted to reciprocate vertically relative to said sealing head, a lever pivoted on said sealing head and adapted to engage said sealing plunger, and fixed bumper means comprising a plurality of pivoted bumper blocks yieldably held in superposed relation to provide adjustment for different-sized bottles and adapted to engage said lever to cause said sealing plunger to move downwardly relative to said sealing head.

5. A device of the class described comprising a sealing head provided with a sealing plunger adapted to be reciprocated, a segmental ring adapted to be engaged by said sealing plunger to cause said segmental ring to contract in a plane transverse to the direction of movement of said plunger, and a sealing ring of elastic, readily deformable material engaged by said segmental ring to cause said elastic sealing ring to be contracted.

6. A device-of the class described comprising a sealing head provided with a sealing plunger adapted to be reciprocated, said sealing plunger having a beveled surface, a segmental ring having a beveled surface adapted to be engaged by the beveled surface of said sealing plunger to cause 7. A device of the class described comprising a sealing head provided with'a' sealing plunger adapted to be reciprocated, a segmental ring provided with an annular channel and adapted to be engagedby said sealing plunger'to cause said.

segmental ring to contractin a plane transverse to the direction of movement of said plunger, and a sealing ring of elastic, readily deformable material engaged by the channel of said segmental ring to cause said elastic sealing ring to be contracted.

8. A device of the class described comprising a sealing head provided with a sealing plunger adapted to be reciprocated, a segmental ring comprising a plurality of segments adapted to be engaged by said sealing plunger to cause said segments to move inwardly toward the axis of said plunger, guide'means for each segment to normally hold the segments spaced from each other and to guide said inward movement of the segments, and a sealing ring of elastic, readily deformable material engaged by said segmental ring to cause said elastic sealing ring to be contracted.

9. A cap sealing device comprising a sealing plunger adapted to be vertically reciprocated to seal caps on bottles, a resilient top pressure ring adapted to press the cap into firm engagement with the bottle, a resilient side pressure ring adapted to contract about said cap for sealing the same to said bottle, a segmental ring carrying said side pressure ring, said segmental ring having a beveled outer surface, said plunger having a beveled surface adapted to engage said first beveled surface and to contract said. segmental ring in response to downward movement of said plunger.

10. A cap sealing device comprising a sealing plunger adapted to be vertically reciprocated to seal caps on bottles, a resilient top pressure ring adapted to press the cap into firm engagement with the bottle, a resilient side pressure ring adapted to contract about said cap for sealing the same to said bottle, and a segmental ring carrying said side pressure ring, said segmental ring having a beveled outer surface, said plunger having a beveled surface adapted to engage said first beveled surface and to contract said segmental ring in response to downward movement of said plunger, said plunger having means in pressure engagement with saidtop pressure rmg.

11. Acap sealing device comprising a sealing head, a plungerslidably mounted therein and adapted to be vertically reciprocated to seal caps on bottles, a resilient top pressure ring adapted to press the cap into firm engagement with the bottle, a resilient side pressure ring adapted to contract about said cap for sealing the same to said bottle, means whereby downward movement of said plunger first causes said top pressure .ring to engage said cap and then causes said side pressure ring to contract and to seal said-cap to said bottle, and means responsive to relative movement between a bottle and said sealing head for reciprocating said plunger therein.

12.,A bottle cap sealing device comprising a sealing head, a shaft associated therewith and adapted tocause reciprocating movement thereof, means to adjust said head on saidshaft to accommodate bottles of diiferent sizes, side pressure means, and means operable upon downward movement of said head to cause said side pressure means to contract against the sides of said cap and to thereby seal said cap to. said bottle.

'13., A bottle cap sealing device comprising a sealing head, a shaft associated therewith and adapted to cause reciprocating movement thereof, meansjto adjust said head on said shaft to accommodate bottles of different sizes, side pres--' sure means and top pressure means, and means operable upon downward movement of said head to cause said .top pressure means to hold said cap firmly on said bottle andto cause said side pressure means to contract against the sides of said cap and to thereby seal said cap to said bottle.

14. A device of the class described comprising a sealing head adapted to be vertically adjusted relative to a bottle, a sealing plunger adapted to reciprocate vertically relative to said sealing head,

a lever pivoted on said sealing head and adapted to engage said sealing plunger, and means adapted to engage said lever in the various adjusted positions of the sealing head to cause said sealing I plunger to move downwardly relative to said sealing head.

15. A device of the class described comprisinga sealing head adapted to be vertically adjusted. relative to a bottle and adapted to be vertically reciprocated relative to a bottle to seal a cap thereon, a sealing plunger adapted to reciprocate vertically relative to a sealing head, a lever pivoted on said sealing head and adapted to engage said sealing plunger, and adjustable vertically relative to the sealing head, a lever pivoted on said sealing head and adapted to engage said sealing plunger, and adjustable bumper means comprising a plurality of pivoted bumper blocks yieldably held in superposed relation to provide adjustment corresponding to the adjustment of the sealing head for different-sized bottles and adapted to engage said lever to cause said sealing plunger to move downwardly relative to said sealing head.

17. A bottle cap sealing device comprising a sealing head, a sealing plunger adapted for relative reciprocating movement with respect to said sealing head, a sealing ring, and contractable means operable in response to said relative reciprocating movement to exert radial pressure on said ring.

18. A bottle cap sealing device comprising a sealing head, a sealing plunger adapted to reciprocate relative to said sealing head, a contractable member carried by said sealing head, means responsive to relative reciprocating movement of said plunger with respect to said head to cause said member to contract, and a sealing ring of elastic, readily deformable material engaged by said contractable member and operable thereby to exert sealing pressure on the bottle cap.

19. A bottle cap sealing device comprising a sealing head, an elastic sealing ring carried thereby, a contractable member adapted to exert radial pressure on said ring for contracting the same, a sealing plunger movable with respect to said sealing head and adapted to actuate said contractable member.

20. A device of the class described comprising a sealing head provided with a sealing plunger adapted to be reciprocated, said sealing plunger having a bevelled surface, a segmental ring having a bevelled surface adapted to be engaged by the bevelled surface of said sealing plunger to cause said segmental ring to contract in a plane transverse to the direction of movement of said plunger, and a sealing ring of readily deformable material engaged by said segmental ring to cause said sealing ring to be contracted.

21. A device of the class described comprising a sealing head, a cap-sealing ring of elastic, readily deformable material, a segmental ring engaging said cap-sealing ring, said segmental ring having a bevelled surface, and a bevelled surface incorporated in said sealing head and adapted to engage the first-mentioned bevelled surface, said engaging bevelled surfaces being adapted to contract said elastic cap-sealing ring in a plane transverse to its axis.

22. A device of the class described comprising a sealing head, a cap-pressure ring of elastic, readily deformablematerial, a cap-sealing ring of elastic, readily deformable material, a segmental ring engaging said cap-sealing ring, said segmental ring having a bevelled surface, and a bevelled surface incorporated in said sealing head and adapted to engage said first-mentioned bevelled surface, said engaging bevelled surfaces being adapted to contract said elastic cap-sealing ring in a plane transverse to its axis.

JOHN E. SHARP. MAX M. KWFER. 

